Karl McDonald

In the hours and days after the EU Referendum vote, much was made of the supposedly huge “Bregret” vote – people who had voted to Leave and then either saw the error of their ways or were shocked that it actually won.

It’s been an article of faith among Remainers that another vote would lead to another result now that foreign holidays are more expensive and the future is mired in uncertainty.

But according to expert poll-watcher John Curtice, there’s no evidence that significant numbers of people feel buyer’s remorse at all.

At a briefing in Westminster, the University of Strathclyde professor said: “‘Very few minds have been changed – there are very few signs of regret.”

Second vote

And despite the fact the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith have been calling for a second vote of some description, it’s clear that the public feels it has made its mind up. More than twice as many people now reject another referendum than support one.

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has repeatedly said “Brexit means Brexit”, but she has faced criticism from opposition MPs that she has avoided being specific.

For members of the public, polling shows that the highest priority is the ending of Britain’s £350m-a-week contribution to the European Union.

The Leave campaign used a bus to advertise this figure before the referendum, suggesting it could be used to fund the NHS, although much of the money is already directed towards projects in Britain such as support of economically underdeveloped regions and subsidies for farmers.

Legitimacy Professor Curtice told the Mirror: “Most people do not feel European in this country. And so there is an argument about the legitimacy of this £350m that we don’t ‘control’, that the EU decides how is spent.”

The second biggest concern is the ending of free movement – likely to be a red line for EU negotiators if Britain attempts to negotiate a deal to stay in the single market.